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Singing Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs Par


t 1 of 2


MARK E. ROSS, PH.D. Professor of Systematic Theology


singing of praise in public worship. But it would not be until 1946 that the church allowed for singing hymns. To understand rightly these chang-


T


he recent concurrent synod meetings of the Associate Re- formed Presbyterian Church


and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America gave oc- casion for our two denominations to discuss together our respective posi- tions on the singing of God’s praise in public worship. The main issues of difference between us are whether the Biblical book of Psalms is to be the church’s only book for the singing of praise to God, and whether that praise can be accompanied by musi- cal instruments. At the time our first representatives came to America in the latter part of the eighteenth cen- tury, both Associate and Reformed Presbyterians agreed that no musical instruments should be used in pub- lic worship, and that only the Bibli- cal book of Psalms should be sung in praise to God. Across the years since, the ARPC


moved away from both of these dis- tinctive positions, while the RPCNA has held steadfastly to them. In doing so, the ARPs have been in company with the majority of other Presbyteri- ans in this country, both in the main- line Presbyterian churches and in the dissenting groups that have come out of them (e.g., the Orthodox Presbyte- rian Church, the Presbyterian Church in America, and the Evangelical Pres- byterian Church). In 1891, the ARP Church allowed for the use of musi- cal instruments to accompany the


es in the ARP Church, we must first consider why we held to the posi- tion we originally did. Our convic- tions were based upon what is called “the regulative principle of worship,” which in brief states that the only worship which is acceptable to God is that which he has instituted in the Holy Scriptures. As the Westminster Confession of Faith says, But the acceptable way of wor-


shipping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imagi- nations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any vis- ible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture (WCF 21.1). Though we have changed our views


on the use of musical instruments and on singing hymns besides the Biblical book of Psalms, we continue to uphold the regulative principle of worship. We still affirm that worship, indeed both public and private, is to be conducted in the manner which God has revealed in the Holy Scriptures. As God alone is the lord of the conscience (WCF 20.2), so God alone is the lord of worship. The Directory of Public Worship for the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church adopted in 2008 shows this commitment in several ways: first, by stating in the preface our adherence to the Biblical and Reformation principle of Scripture alone (sola Scriptura) for ordering public worship; second, by the abundant proof texts from Scrip- ture (more than 300) presented as the basis for the teaching of the Directo- ry; and finally by devoting a chapter


to “The Rule of Worship,” in which we teach, The God who calls us to worship


also directs us how to worship. The Word of God given to us in the Holy Scriptures is the only rule to direct us in how we may worship and glo- rify Him. What He commands us, we must do, neither adding to nor taking away from anything which He com- mands (DPW II.1). Thus, our basis for ordering pub-


lic worship did not change from our founding. What did change is how we understood what the Scriptures actually taught about the use of mu- sical instruments in worship and the principle of singing psalms exclu- sively. We came to believe that the divine approval for using musical instruments revealed in Old Testa- ment worship (e.g., Pss. 33, 92, 150) did not pass away with the Old Testa- ment priesthood, but like the singing of praise itself was carried over into the New Testament era. We also came to believe that neither the Old Testa- ment church nor the New Testament church were restricted in its praise to the Book of Psalms, but that “new songs” to the Lord should also be sung, if they are in accordance with the teaching of the Holy Scriptures. In Part 2 of this article we shall explore the reasons for why we came to hold these views, as well as why we main- tain the critical importance of con- tinuing to sing the book of Psalms in Christian worship today.?


Mark E. Ross, Ph.D., is Professor of Sys- tematic Theology for Erskine Theological Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina


Erskine Theological Seminary 12 The Associate Reformed Presbyterian


Erskine Seminary


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